First time in the Philippines? Where to go?

Recently, some Filipino friends abroad had been asking me to recommend places in the Philippines for their foreign friends who’s visiting our country for the first time.

Most of the time, I recommend Boracay and Cebu.

Why Boracay? Well, you haven’t really been to the Philippines, if Boracay is not included in the itinerary.  Still voted as the best beach in the world, Boracay is known for its pristine white sands, clear blue waters and a view of the magnificent sunset.  There are different water activities to engage with like island hopping, parasailing, banana boat ride, kayaking, cliff diving, snorkeling, diving, stand up paddling, helmet diving, boating and sailing.  The island also offers great massage in the beach, henna tattoos, ATV riding, and a great sense of nightlife and partying. A wide variety of food of different cuisines are found in Boracay.  What I love the most are the buffet dinner that serves fresh seafood like lobsters and shrimps.   A walk from Station 3 to Station 1 is also a must, to see the coarse sand to finer sand and the great view of the Mama Mary in Willy’s Rock.  I also love Puka Beach because of its pink and coral sands.  Resorts of different class can be easily found along the beach fronts.  Other apartment, Airbnb, backpacker lodges, villas are also available.  There are private and secluded beach around.  I suggest to book a flight and accommodation earlier since it gets crowded easily in Boracay.  And I’m not sure if the off-peak season still applies.  As for myself, I’d been there for the nth time and would still come back anytime.

Why Cebu?  This is my favorite province, if you read my blog, I’d been featuring different locations here, and still there’s a lot to explore.  I’d been to Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-lapu City, Talisay, Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Malapascua Island, San Remigio,  Daanbantayan, Carmen, Oslob and Samboan.  For starters, tour the city first, from the famous Sinulog Festival every January, a visit to the oldest church of Basilica Minore del Sto Nino, Magellan’s Cross, Fort San Pedro and Taoist Temple.The different islands and towns promote numerous activities.  But it depends on what you want, like diving, island tours, trekking and canyoneering falls, mountain climbing, watching whale sharks, viewing the heritage sites.  Name it Cebu has it.  It just depends on what you want to see and what to do.  The best place for Lechon, seafoods, the famous Larsian food stall and the Lantaw restaurant with a view of the city.  My favorite destination is Bantayan, my first love, but overall Cebu is worth your time, money and memories.

There’s still a lot of places to recommend, just visit my blog to know more of the Philippines.